Rebirth of the Phoenix\_

Chapter 58: Spar 3

In his left hand, an aura shield formed interwoven with strands of water, reinforcing its structure.

Not perfect but stronger.

A punch slammed into it, it held.

At the same time, his right hand formed a weapon.

A long sword.

Not his preferred choice.

Too heavy and unfamiliar.

But it had reach and power.

He poured aura into it far more than usual.

The blade shimmered, dense with energy and lined with flowing water.

For a fraction of a second everything paused.

Then

He swung.

A full, committed arc.

The blade tore through all three clones in a single motion.

They shattered instantly.

Gone.

The sword and shield dissolved the moment the strike ended.

Too costly to maintain.

In their place.

Two daggers formed.

Luis lunged toward the tree.

Straight toward where Selene stood Invisible.

Just as he closed the distance.

She appeared.

Her invisibility dropped seamlessly.

Her hand rested against the tree.

"Didn’t know we were using weapons," she said calmly.

The tree responded instantly.

Wood shifted.

A blade formed in her right hand, drawn directly from the trunk.

At the same time, a root burst upward from the ground, shaping into a shorter blade in her left.

No wasted motion.

They clashed.

Luis’s daggers met her blades and shattered instantly.

The difference in strength was overwhelming.

But that was intentional. The daggers were made weaker so they would shatter instantly.

Luis stepped in.

Closer.

Inside her range.

Selene’s blades were still moving from the initial clash, their momentum carrying them slightly off-line.

This is what he wanted.

He shifted his body, slipping past the path of her weapons.

Aura surged into his fist.

Everything he could gather in that moment.

He drove it forward.

Straight toward her abdomen.

At the same time Selene adjusted.

Faster than he expected.

Her blades reversed direction, cutting back towards him.

Too fast to fully avoid.

Both attacks landed.

A dull impact echoed.

Luis’s fist connected.

Selene’s blades struck.

Pain exploded through both of them.

Luis was thrown sideways, his body skidding across the ground.

Selene was launched backward, her feet leaving the ground before she crashed and slid across the clearing.

Silence followed.

Both lay there for a moment.

Then

A groan from both sides.

Luis rolled slightly, clutching his side as he exhaled sharply.

Selene pushed herself up more slowly, one hand resting briefly against her abdomen.

Neither of them smiled.

But neither looked dissatisfied either.

Sera appeared between them. In a flash.

"Let’s end this here," she said calmly. "A draw."

Selene’s expression tightened immediately.

She pushed herself up, clearly dissatisfied.

"A draw?" she said, irritation slipping into her voice. "I didn’t even use all my blessings. I would have won."

Luis stood as well, wincing slightly as he rubbed his side.

Then, without a word, he summoned two daggers formed from aura and lined with flowing water.

"I would win before you could use them all," he replied.

Selene’s eyes sharpened. Before she could respond Shadows moved.

They rose instantly from the ground, wrapping around both of them and sealing their mouths shut.

Sera’s gaze hardened slightly.

"Quiet."

Both froze.

"It’s a draw," she continued, "not because you both landed equal hits"

Her eyes shifted between them.

"but because you were both equally dumb."

Neither could respond, but the tension in the air said enough.

"Selene," Sera said, turning slightly toward her, "you could have ended the fight earlier if you had gone all out."

Selene’s brows furrowed slightly.

"Luis," Sera continued, her gaze shifting, "the surprise attack was good. Letting go of your weapons was smart."

Luis’s posture straightened slightly.

"But it could have been better. You should have dismissed your clones and reformed them beside you for the attack."

Luis’s eyes flickered.

That... was true.

"Of course," Sera added calmly, "Selene could have done the same to defend."

Her gaze returned to Selene.

"But you were too caught off guard."

A brief silence followed.

"Because you underestimated him."

Selene’s expression didn’t change much but her eyes did.

Sera let the moment sit before continuing.

"And since you’ll both be attending the academy in the Gods Continent together."

Her tone shifted slightly, more casual now.

"You’ll have plenty of time to spar."

The shadows vanished.

Both Luis and Selene inhaled lightly as the bindings disappeared.

They stared at each other for a moment.

Then Luis dismissed his daggers. The water and aura dissolved into nothing. He groaned quietly, stretching his side.

Then he looked at Sera.

"What do you mean by a school in the Gods Continent?" he asked. "You never told me."

Before Sera could answer

Selene spoke.

"You don’t know about the Gods Academy?"

Luis blinked.

"The what?"

Sera’s lips curved slightly.

"This works out," she said. "Selene, you can explain it to him on the way back."

Before either of them could respond She was gone.

Her body dissolved into shadows, leaving behind a faint trail along the ground leading back toward the city.

Silence lingered for a moment.

Selene exhaled softly.

"How are you attending with me," she muttered, "when you don’t even know what it is?"

Luis started walking, following the shadow trail.

"So," he said casually, "are you going to tell me?"

Selene glanced at him, then followed, walking beside him.

"You do know about the Gods Continent, right?" she asked.

Luis nodded.

"It’s where the seven gods reside. With their factions... or temples."

Selene looked at him again.

"Is that all you know?"

"...Yeah."